In this episode of Conversations with Interpreter, John E. Cochran II and Joseph Cochran explore the societal and cultural changes that seem to have allowed the Lamanites to be receptive to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Cochrans lay out their argument in an article entitled, “From Wilderness to Covenant Threshold: Land, Literacy, and Religious Readiness in the Book of Mormon,” published in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. In this episode, they observe that the descriptions of Lamanites in early parts of the Book of Mormon do not always coincide with what the sons of Mosiah find in their missionary journey. They argue that it is the language and culture brought by Amulon and the wicked priests actually helped prepare the Lamanites for the gospel of Jesus Christ, showing how God prepares people in ways that are sometimes different from what we expect. God wants all of his people to return to him and he is constantly finding ways to prepare people, including cultural and societal changes.

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